Norway’s Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg has vowed terrorists will not “destroy” his country after two attacks killed at least 16 people in his country on Friday.

He said the government “do not wish to speculate” if an Islamist terrorist group was responsible, adding it was “too early” to know the motive for the attacks.

Stoltenberg told a press conference: “You will not destroy us, you will not destroy our democracy and our idea for a better world.

“We are a small nation and a proud nation. No one will bomb us to silence. No one will shoot us to silence. No one will ever scare us away from being Norway.

“This evening and this night we will take care of each other, comfort each other and stand together. Tomorrow we will show the world that Norwegian democracy will be stronger when it counts."

The prime minister, who was thought to be a target of the attacks paid tribute to those who had been killed and emergency workers who tried to save them, stressing: “We will never stop standing up for our values.”

Stoltenberg said the messages of support from around the globe had helped the country and urged intelligence agencies across the world to work together.

The Norwegian PM said the attack on the youth camp was "brutal" and an "act of cowardice". He suggested authorities "fear that there could be more" casualties.

Norway’s justice minister revealed that the man arrested for the shooting was Norwegian.